We stayed at an all inclusive resort which was had everything right there so we were able to spend 95% of our time at the resort and only ventured out once to get souvenirs for our trip.
Our flight left early on a Tuesday morning. And despite the early hour, the kids were very good and traveled very well.
Since JAE now gets her own seat, we now have to sit in clusters. JOE sat with J and JAE sat with me. At one point, the kids switched up and overall, it was a very pleasant experience.
All smiles at 6am in the morning.
JAE loves being goofy.
The airport. Sadly, this airport suffered a lot of damage during hurricane Irma :-(.
On our way to the resort.
Our resort.
When we got there, this huge cruise ship was docked there.
Our resort.
Due to a very short layover, we were STARVING by the time we arrived at our resort. So much so that all we wanted to do is drop off our luggage and get something to eat.
We visited their Tikki bar restaurant and that is pretty much where we ate our lunch most of our time there.
Can't beat the view.
For dinner, J had this pasta and meat sauce and said it was DELISH.
I was a little disappointed at the fact that they didn't have any authentic Island foods. But given the fact that the resort is American owned, I guess I can see why that was the case.
I on the other hand had the almond crusted salmon for dinner every night. It was quite tasty. It came with mashed sweet potatoes, carrots and broccoli. I didn't eat those items so I don't know how they tasted and I ended up scrubbing the crust off the salmon but it still tasted DELISH.
The best thing about this trip is that we were able to keep the girls on their nap schedule. They took naps everyday. Mostly because we ensured they were quite active.
Each day, we worked out together as a family and also spent time at the beach in addition to letting them pick shells and spending time at the pool.
We spent time at the infinity pool that had a beautiful view of the Island. Can you see those houses around the mountains there? Talk about homes with a view!
We were a little disappointed at the fact that the service did not include food, drinks and snacks by the pool. We had to get out and go to the restaurant to get that. While this is just a little inconvenience, I guess we were spoiled by the fact that in the all inclusive resorts we have visited in the past often included services at the pool as well.
The other mistake we made is the fact that this particular resort is also a timeshare. We did not know this until we arrived there.
What that meant is that since timeshare owners often didn't get the all inclusive package, they paid in cash and tipped accordingly. This obviously impacted the service we received because we felt a lot of time, the service we received was sub-par.
This didn't prevent us from having fun though. Considering we have had a bit of a challenging year this year, we made sure to relax and enjoy our vacation.
Eating lunch one day. JAE and her many faces. She was TIRED.
View from our room.
One of the great appeals of the location is that a UNESCO site was right there on the resort so we were able to take that in and learn a bit about the Island.
It was also a good hike so we decided to do this hike every morning while we were there. Helped us to get a good workout especially since J and I often carried the kids on our back. The heat, walking up hill and carrying 30+ lbs each was definitely a good workout.
Thankful they had these benches at the top. We often took some time to sit down and catch our breathes. Check out the cruise ship that was docked at the port.
US
To ensure all my steps were counted, I would often pin my fitbit to my shirt. That way, it would still count my steps even though I was often pushing a stroller.
#attitude. It was hot and we weren't moving fast enough to get to the pool.
My daily breakfast. Bacon, ham, sausage and eggs.
While there, we decided to take a catamaran boat ride. The girls ABSOLUTELY enjoyed it. And spent the entire time talking about Moana and Maui and looking for the heart of Tafiti.
I tried to recreate a picture from my vacation to Greece in 2009.
They ride lasted almost 3 hours and by the time we got back, everyone was TIRED.
Relaxing on the beach and picking up shells for a memory jar.
This was my daily lunch and it was oh so DELISH! Honey sriracha wings. YUM!!! Not Atkins approved (because of the honey).
And of course, we encountered a lizard. It had such a vibrant color so I had to get a picture.
The ocean looked so beautiful here.
Clear waters. It was so beautiful and calming.
Relaxing on the beach after working out.
I took a day on and day off approach to vacation as far as my eating went. So every other day, I indulged slightly by having a drink and a dessert. J was so nice and stood in solidarity with me. If I wasn't drinking, he didn't drink around me.
I made it a point to try almost all of the desserts (on different nights) on my "off" days. YUM!
I asked J to come over to take a picture with me. Wouldn't you know the kids decided to be in the picture?
Finally got a picture with my #1.
The girls...
J spent a lot more time with the girls in the pool while I got some R & R time outside the pool. I did go in the pool a few times and my hair paid dearly for it. The chlorine was really bad this time around. Not sure why but I got serious matting in my hair from using the pool during our time there. Didn't stop me though.
Picking shells on the beach. This was a fun daily activity for us.
J giving a speech...LOL
Another view from our room.
We ventured into town on our last full day on the Island. The best part was when a vendor trying to get our attention yelled "hey, black and white!" It is funny now but at the time, it was rather irritating.
For the record, calling people by the color of their skin is NOT the way to get a potential customer's attention.
We didn't get much but I did get some Island coffee grinds which is SOOOOOOO good :-). I think it is Atkins approved. Doesn't matter if it isn't.
The views from the top of Ft. Amsterdam was beautiful and just the right way start the day everyday when we hiked to the top of the fort.
There was a wedding on the beach one day while we were there.
And of course, to close out the evening, the girls were watching Moana. J was very engrossed in the movie. We have seen the movie a gazillion times.
Dinner selfies.
The water was so clear...
Me and my mini me.
Top of Ft. Amsterdam.
JOE giving her speech.
I told J that the line is an emergency pull for if someone gets stuck in the tub. He disagrees. What say you?
Our last day on the beach.
We managed to get a good family selfie with everyone smiling and looking at the camera. SCORE!
We found these yellow crabs on the beach. How cute are they?
We hung otu at the beach and picked more shells until it was time to head out.
On our way back to the airport.
Lounging at the airport.
We had such a great time and I am so happy we will be taking some more time again to celebrate my birthday in November. While I have never really been a beach girl, taking vacations with my family makes it that much more fun.
